Water-meter.



W. H. RICHARDS.

WATERv METER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.20, 1915.

il 48 ll I 43|s .48

WALTER H. RICHARDS, OF NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT.

WATER-METER.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June lf3, i916.

Application led August 20, 1915. Serial No. 46,434.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, WALTER H. RICHARDS,

a citizen of the United States of America,

residing at New London, Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Tater-Meter, of which the following is a specification.

rIhs invention relates particularly to the rocking or nutatory disk type of meter, and the general objects of the invention are to simplify and improve meters of this class.

Special objects of the invention are to,

In the accomplishment of these objectsI' employ a disk and ball mounted to oscillate in a measuring chamber, and operate the registering or counting mechanism by means carried by the peripheral portion of the disk. Said means is usually in the form of apin projecting from `the rim of the disk and working in a slot in the measuring chamber housing. This projecting pin or actuator may be provided with an antifriction roller, and it serves as it rocks back and forth `in its guide slot to operate suitable gearing driving the counting mechanism. This construction leaves the ball mounting at the center of the disk free of any parts projecting through the measuring chamber and permits of thedisk being oscillatedl through a much greater angle than in the ordinary meter, thus, very materially increasing the capacity of the meter without adding to its bulk or size. The driving gear may take the form of dogs or tumblers pivoted at the ends of the' guide' slot and extending thereinto so as to be engaged by the actuator upon the disk, said dogs being geared together so that they actuation of one will position the other for engagement by the actuator.

Another feature of the invention is they disposition of the meter casing and disk in a substantially vertical plane, and the locating of the inlet and outlet in the bottom of the meter,below the disk. This provides a very compact structure.

The, frost protective device which I employ, is preferably in the form of a relay tively soft metal plug detachably screwed into the inlet throat of the meter.

The inflowing stream of liquid is preferably strained by a screen located in the inlet side of the meter, and to make this screen readily accessible for cleaning and renewal, that part of the casing in which this screen is located is preferably divided so that the casing can be separated on this line to fully expose the screen. In the preferred construction the' screen is located in the inlet and the inlet is cut at an angle sufficient to provide the necessary screening area.

The adjustment of the meter for correct registration is obtained in accordance with my preferred construction, by the regulation of flow through a by-pass between the entrance and exit passages vof the meter. Specifically this by-passconsists of a series of ports in the partition between the intake and outlet side of the meter which may be opened up or closed by an adjustable gate, the increasing or decreasing of flow through this by-pass having a corresponding effect in decreasing or increasing the rate of registration 'of" the meter.

Various other features and details of construction will appear as the, specification proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated a practical and preferred embodiment of my invention, but will have it understood that changes and modifications may be `made without departing from the true scope of the invention.

Figure l, is a vertical` sectional -view through a meter embodying the several features of the invention, said view being taken substantially on the plane of the line 1-1 of g Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on a plane at right angles to that of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4, is a sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 showing the device for adjusting the registration of the meter.

In the illustration, the disk, designated 7, is shown provided with va ball 8 at its center which constitutes a pivot on which the disk rocks or oscillates in the measuring chamber 9. This measuring chamber is at their central portions With opposed bearings 13 and 14 for the pivot ball 8.

The inner or,measuring chamber casing is supported within an outer casing 15. An inlet 16 and an outlet 17 are provided in the base of this outer casing below the measuring chamber, said inlet and outlet being 'shown disposed in substantial alinement with each other, but separated by a partition 18. The partition 19 in the inner casing forms a continuation of the partition 18, separating the inlet side from the outlet side of the measuring chamber. On opposite sides of this partition the measuring chamber is provided with openings 20 and 21 in communication with the inlet 16fand'outlet 17 respectively. The disk is slotted at 22 so that it can oscillate over the partition 19.

ThecOunting or registering mechanism may be of any suitable construction and is represented in the present instance by the pointer carried by the upright spindle 25 which forms themain arbor or shaft of such mechanism and to which other pointers may be geared as indicated in Fig. 1 at.23. This shaft has a. bearing .at 26 on the top of the inner casing, suitable packing being provided at 27, where said shaft passes down through the partition 28 which defines the counting mechanism chamber 29. The actu'- ator for the counting mechanism is inthe form of a pin or projection 30 on the upper edge of the disk working in an arcuate slot 31 in the inner case and provided with a friction reducing roller 32. The actuator 30 may be formed integral with the-disk, or be a separate part attached thereto. In the illustration it is shown as a screw rod eX-.

tended clear in through the disk into the pivot ball at the center thereof. This makes a secure connection, and by distributing the strain through the ldiskand the pivot ball relieves the peripheral portion of the disk of any undue strain.

The complete oscillation of the disk isv assured and the disk held against the'walls of the measuring chamber by a pin or projection 33 on the ball which may be provided with an anti-friction roller 34 and which as the disk oscillates, rides over the conical side Wall 11 and thereby maintains the disk in its tilted position in engagement with the side walls at two diametrically opposite points, said guide roller passing through a slot in the partition 19, as indicated at 34 in Fig. 1.

The oscillating movement of the actuator in its segmental slot is .communicated as a driving force to the counting mechanism in any suitable Way, the means for this purpose illustrated being in the form of two dogs or tumblers 35 and 36 mounted on spindles 37 and 38, and provided with oppositely eX- tending fingers 39 and 40 arranged to project into the slot 31 into the path of the actuator, said spindles 37 and 38 carrying bevel pinions 41 and 42 on theirupper ends meshf ing with a beveled gear 43 on the arbor 25v of the counting mechanism. The inner casing is shown provided with diagonally opposite angularly extending housings 44 and 45 at the opposite ends of the slot in which the tumblers are mounted, openings 46 being provided in the inside walls of said housings for lthe fingers of the tumblers to work through. The tumblers are disposed at right angles to each other as indicated in Fig. 3, so that when the finger of one tum- .bler is projecting into the actuator slot 31,

the lingers ofthe other tumbler will lie parallel to said slot. Consequently, the engagement of the actuator withrthe active or projecting one of the tumblers, imparts a. quarter turn to that tumbler and through the l .without increasing the size of the meter.

The placing of the inlet and outlet below the measuring chamber also conserves space andy makes the meter more compact and inexpenslve. f

The inner casing may be split in two parts, as indicated at 47 Lto facilitate inspecting and assemblage and similarly the outer casing may be divided on the line 48 to permit ready access to the inner casing and gearmg.

A screen 50 is provided for straining the inflowing current of liquid. This'screen is preferably located in the inlet 16 and the inlet is divided. on an angle as indicated at 51 to provide the necessary screening area, the screen 'being held in place-by being clamped between the two parts of the inlet. The two parts of the inlet maybe secured together by bolts 52 or other suitable fastenings passed through the meeting flanges of said parts. After the inlet\ of the meter has been coupled to the service pipe, the removal of these bolts and the uncoupling of the outlet from its pipe connection, permits of the meter being lifted bodily off the inlet, thus allowing the bodily r'emoval of the meter, exposing the screen and giving access to both inlet and outlet.

The parts are protected fromA freezing, in the construction illustrated, by a frost plug 55, of relatively soft metal, screwed into the underside of the inlet and adapted to yield under the expansive pressure of freezing. When destroyed or. distorted by freezing this plug can be readily and cheaply replaced. This removable plug is preferably located as shown, adjacent to and beneath the inclined screen so that it can be utilized as a sediment trap, and be removed to free the inlet of the sediment collecting in the pocket beneath the screen.

.opened or closed more or less by a gate 57, -shown in the form of a plug screwed into the side ofthe casing and intercepting the two ports would lreduce the rate of registra-l tion two per cent., etc., enabling accurate,

port or ports. It will be clear that by adjusting this plug to open or close these leakage ports, more or less liquid will be bypassed around the measuring chamber and the meter will be thereby causedto decrease yor increase its rate of registration.

These leakage ports are preferably made of a definite size and capacity so that the registration may be regulated by definite and -certain steps. rl`hus for instance they might all be made of a size to vary the rate of registration say' one per cent., whereupon the opening up of one port would reduce the rate one per cent., the opening u-p of quick regulation of the meter. This provides a simple, convenient and practical means for setting the meter initially and for adjusting it subsequently to compensate for wear, sedimentation, etc., and dispenses with the use ofthe change-gears heretofore employed for this purpose,

What I claim is:

1. In a disk type liquid meter, the combination withV a casing having a measuring chamber and a rocking disk mounted in said -chamber and impelled by the flow of liquid therethrough, of counting mechanism and operating means upon the peripheral portion of said disk operatively connected with said counting mechanism.

2. In a disk type liquid meter, the combination with a casing having a measuring chamber provided with a transversely eX- tending segmental guide-way in one side thereof, of a rocking disk mounted in said chamber, a projection on the edge of said disk Working`in said guide-way, counting mechanism, and connections for operating said counting mechanism including means projecting into the segmental guide-way to be engaged and operated by theprojection on the rocking disk.

3. In a disk type liquid meter, the combination with `a casing having a measuring chamber provided with a segmental guideway in one side thereof, of an oscillating disk ymounted in said chamber, a projectingpin on the edge of said disk and a roller on said pin working in the segmental guideway, counting mechanism, pivoted tumblers having fingers adapted to extend into the segmental guide-way, and gearing between said tumblers and the counting mechanism. A

'4. In a disk type liquid meter, a casing having a measurlng chamber provided with.

a segmental guide-way in one side thereof,

a pivot ball and disk oscillatably mounted in the measuring chamber, an actuating pin eX- tending in through the body of the disk into the pivot ball at the center thereof, the projecting portion of said p in working in the guide-way aforesaid, counting mechanism and means operated by said projecting pin andoperatively.connected with said counting mechanism.

5. In a disk meter, the combination of a casing having a measuring chamber pro-` vided with a segmental guide-way in the upper side thereof, an oscillating disk in the measuring chamber, an vactuator' on the edge of said disk Working in said segmental guide-way, counting mechanism above the measuring chamber and operating means extending into the segmental guide-way into position to be engaged by said actuator and opera-tively connected with the counting mechanism.

6. A. liquid meter of the disk type comprising in combination with a casing having a measuring chamber provided with a guideway in one side\thereof, pivoted tumblers at the opposite ends of said guide-way provided with fingers adapted to project into said guide-way, pinions carried by said tumblers, a gear engaged by said pinions, registering mechanlsm-operated by said gear, a. disk oscillatably mounted in the measuring chamber, and an actuator on the edge of said disk traveling in said guide-way and arranged to engage the projecting fingers of the tumblers.

7. A liquid meter comprising an outer casing provided with an inlet and an outlet in the bottom portion thereof, an inner casing within the outer casing above said inlet and outlet and having an inlet and an outlet communicating with the inlet and outletrespectively of the outer casing, said inner casing having a guide-way inthe top thereof, a disk oscillatably mounted in the inner casing, an actuator on the upper edge of said disk traveling in said guide way, registering mechanism and devices operatively engaged by said actuator and connected with said registering mechanism.

8. In a nuta'tory disk meter, the combination with a pivot .ball and 'a disk carried disposed-side walls limiting the movement of the disk and provided with opposed sockets forming bearings for the pivot ball, f

inlet arranged for connection with a servicel pipe, the body portion of said casing, being se arable from said inlet on a line inclined with respect to the axis of the inlet and thereby providing at the plane of such separation a cross-sectional narea greater than the y cross-sectional area ofthe inlet and a screen clamped between the inclined meeting faces of the separable body portion of the casing and the inlet, the inclination of said line of separation being sufficient to provide the area necessary for. screening substantially without ,increasing the diameter of the inlet. v

10. In a liquid'meter, a casing provided with an inlet, a screen disposed on an iiicline in said inlet and a plug detachably engaged in the inlet in the pocket provided beneath the incline of the screen.

11. In a meter of the character set forth, the combination with a disk and pivot-ball at the center of the same, of a meter casing inclosing said disk and pivot ball, and means working within the meter chamber and engaged with the pivot ball of the disk for guiding and maintaining the nutatory action of the disk whereby said guiding means being disposed wholly within the meter chamber, the angle of said meter chamber may be increased without interference by said guiding means.

12. In a disk type liquid meter-,the combination with a casing having a measuring chamber and a rock-ing disk mounted in said chamber and impelled by the flowv of liquid therethrough, of counting mechanism, operating means upon the peripheral portion of said disk operatively connected with said counting mechanism and means for maintaining said disk in tilted position during the rocking movement thereof.

13. In adisk type liquid meter, the com-` bination with a casing having a measuring chamber provided with oppositely disposed conical' walls, a disk in said chamber, a guide at the center of said disk engaging one of said conical walls to thereby hold the disk in contact with the conical walls at diametricallyy opposite points, counting mechanism and operating means on the rim of said disk operatively connected with said counting mechanism.

14. In a nutatory disk meter, the combination with a pivot ball and a disk carried thereby constituting together a nutatory element, of a meter chamber inclosing said nutatory element and comprising oppositely disposed side walls limiting the movement of the disk and provided with opposed sockets forming bearings for the pivot ball, registering mechanism outside said meter chamber, an actuator on the nutatory element inside the meter chamber defined by the side walls and bearing sockets aforesaid, wherebythe space between said side walls may be increased to permit increased angle of movement of the disk without limitation by said actuator, driving connections between the actuator working within the meter chamber and the registering mechanism outside said chamber and means wholly within the meter chamber defined by said side walls and opposed bearing sockets for maintaining the disk in tilted position during nutation thereof.

15. Ina device of the character set forth,-

a disk chamber having conical side walls provided with oppositely disposed seats devoid of enlarged openings for oscillating parts, a disk in saidfchamber and a pivot ball for said disk engaged in said seats and having `no oscillatingl parts projecting through said seats, whereby the side walls of the disk chamber and disk may be designed to permit a vibration of the disk through an arc of ninety degrees or over.

16. A liquid meter provided with an inlet and with an outlet and with a partition between said inlet and outlet, said partition having a leakage'port therein, a gate controlling said port and having an operating member extending out through the side of the meter casing.v and liquid measuring mechanism interposed between the inlet and the outlet.

17. In a Water meter a casinghaving a substantially horizontally disposed inlet in one side thereof and a horizontally disposed outlet in the opposite side thereof and substantially in alinement with said inlet and a substantially vertical partition in said casing between said inlet and outlet and forming a substantially vertical barrier separatl ing Ithe inlet from the outlet. said partition having a. leakage port extending there` through from the inlet to the outlet side thereof, a gate controlling said port and having an operating stem extending out through the side of the casing. a meter chamber in the casing above the inlet and outlet and having an opening in one side thereof in communication with thel inlet andy au opening in the opposite side thereof in communication with the outlet, a substantially vertical partition in said chamber in LD@ l Y e providedjvith oppositely disposed seats dement imparted thereto by the iiow of liquid from the inlet and through the chamber to the outlet and registering mechanism operated by said disk and governed as to its rate of registration by the extent of leakage allowed through the leakage port in the.

partition which separates the inlet from the outlet.

18. In a device of the character s et forth, a disk chamber having conical side walls void of enlarged openings for oscillating parts, a disk in said chamber and a pivot ball for said disk engaged-in said seats and having no oscillating parts projecting through said seats, whereby the side walls of the disk chamber and disk may be designed to permit a vibration of the disk through yan arc of ninety degrees or over, and means engaged with the pivot ball of the disk and Working wholly Within the disk chamber deiined by the conical side Walls and seats for maintaining the disk in tilted position during nutation thereof. y

19. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with a casing having a disk chamber and a` rocking disk mounted in said chamber and impelled by the How of liquid therethrough, mechanism to be operated outside said disk chamber and operating means upon the peripheral portion of said disk operatively connected i'ith the mechanism to be operated.

20. In a device of the character set forth,

' a casing having a' disk chamber, a rocking disk mounted in said chamber and impelled by the iow of liquid therethrough, a`pivot ball at the center of said disk, an actuating pin extending in through the body of the disk into -the pivot ball at the center thereof and means operated by the projecting portion of said actuating pin. l

21. A liquid meter provided with an in let and an outlet and a partition Wall separating said outlet from said inlet, said partition wall having a plurality of transversely extending leakage ports therethrough of predetermined size and capacity providing a plurality of direct passages of definite capacities between the inlet and outlet sides of the meter, said partition Wall further having a longitudinal passage intercepting the ports extending therethrough, liquid measuring mechanism interposed between the inlet and outlet, registering mechanism operated by said measuring 'mechanism and a gate member movable longitudinally in the longitudinal passage to cut off or open up one or a number of said transverse ports to thereby vary by delin'ite predetermined quantities the extent of leakage past the measuring mechanism and thereby to regulate by certain deinite'steps the rate of registration produced by the measuring mechanism.

WALTER H. RMJHARDS. 

